Floor jack



March 23 1926.

F. c. PRENTICE FLOOR JACK Filed Oct. 24, 1925 Patented Man 23,

' Unite stares FRED C. ERENTIOE, OF GREAT IBEI TD, 'i-ENNSYLVANLL moon JACK. v

Application filed October 24, 1925. Serial No. 64,634.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FRED C. Pniinricn,

a citizen of the United States, residing-at (treat Bend, in the county of Susquehalma and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improven'ients in a Floor Jack, of which the following is a specification.

lhis invention relates to floor jacks, and has for one of its objects to provide a jack for use with flooring boards more particularly of the tongue and groove type for forcing'said boards into close abutting relation whenlaying the floor and for maintaining the same in such a position'during the nailing operation without requiring the presence of the workman at the jack. r

A further object of the invention is to provide means for preventing vertical rai ing of the jack during its clamping operation, which is a disadvantage with a majority of jacks now upon the market.

A further and important object is to provide a highly efficient jackof relatively few parts to be manipulated to a clamping -01 unclamping position without requiring any great skill upon the part of the workman.

With the foregoing and further obje'ctsin view as the nature-of the invention is better understood, the same comprises the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described in the accompanying drawing andclaimed.

In the drawing wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout both the views:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved floor jack in actual use, and

Fig. 2 .is a longitudinal section, partly in side elevation of said jack.

Now having particular reference to the drawing, my novel jack constitutes the pro vision of a substantially rectangular shaped and fiat-like head 5 that is formed throughout its length with a passageway 6 for the sliding reception of the relatively elongated ratchet bar 7 which ratchet bar. is equipped at its forward end with the usual board en-,

formed at its rear end with a foot 11 for resting upon the sub-flooring or flooring supporting joistsfor preventing any up ward movement of the jack duringthe operating of the same, and for also cooper-ah ing with other means hereinafter more fully described in limiting the rearward sliding movement of the ack while under operation.

The top side of the head 5 formed centrally with an opening 12 in communication with the longitudinal.passageway 6 of the head, and formed with the sides of this opening extending vertically there-from a o cars 18-13 between which is pi'votally se-1 cured as at 14, the lower sleeved end ofa tubular handle bar 15, the upper end of which is threaded for the reception of a cap 16, Fig. 2.

Slidably disposed within said handle bar is ELTElZl'lLlVGlY elongated pin 17 that has a pointed progectlng end 18 promoting outwardly from the lower end of the bar for engagementwith the teeth on the top surface ofthe rack bar 7. This pin 17 is slidably disposed within the handle bar and is formed adjacent its forward pointed- .ment with the end of the slot in opposite movement of the pin. Said pin 17 is normally maintained in engagement with the teeth of the rack bar through the medium of an eXpansible helical spring 19 disposed within the handle bar between the cap 16 and end of the pin 17, for obviously allowing the pointed end of the pin 17 to ratchet over the teeth of the bar 7 in the upward swinging movement of the handle bar.

The teeth of the rack bar are so arranged as to catch the pointed end of the slidablo pin in order that the same will be moved forwardly of the head-5 when the tubular handle bar 15 is swung rearwardly so that the board A will be brought or moved into interlocking engagement with the adjacent board which has already been laid.

In order to maintain the rack bar 9 in its forced position, a conventional dog 21 is provided at the forwardend of the head 5, the same being pivotally disposed as at 22 between spaced ears 23-23 formed at the forward end of said head, it being obvious that when this pawl is raised, the ratchet bar and its board engaging clamp 8 may be moved rearwardly out of engagement with the board that has been acted upon.

The head is equipped upon its lower side with a suitable number of rearwardly inclined spurs 24: that bite into the sub-flooring or main flooring joists primarily/ for the purpose of preventing a rearward sliding novement oi the jack-while under operation.

ihe operation and advantages of a jack of this character will be readily appreciated by llllOfi e skilled in the art even though I-have herein shown and described'the most pres I forward end oi said rack bar, a hollow lever pivoted adjacent its lower end on said head, a ratchet pin slidably disposed within the lever, the lower end cooperating with the ratchet teeth of said rack bar whereby the bar mayle moved in one direction through the medium of the hollow lever and the pin, and means for maintaining the rack bar in its adjusted position. i

2. In a floor jack, ahead havingalongitudinal passage formed therein, a rack-bar slidable through the passage in said head, a floor board engaging member upon the forward endof the bar, a hollow lever pivoted adjacentits lower end on the top side of said head, a ratchet pin slidably disposed within the le er and adapted for cooperation with the teeth of the rack bar, said head being provided withan opening-in the'top' side thereof in communication with the rack bar it )HSSH e for nermittin the .coo ieration 'the same in its adjusted position.

3. In a floor jack, a head, having a longitudinal passage formed therein, the top side Of'Silltl head having an opening arranged therein in communicati on with said passage, a rack bar slidable through said passage, a floor board engagiifg head member carried by the forwardend of the rack ear, and a pair of upstanding cars on the top side out the head on opposite sides of the opening, a pivot pin journaledat its respective ends in the upper portions of said upstanding ears, an elongated tubular handle bar having its lowerend open and supported adjacent its lowerend onsaid pin betweensaid cars, a closure for the upper end of the tubular handle bar, a ratchet pinslidably disposed within the tubular handle Lar, the lower portion of said pin being provided witlra longitudinal slot through which the pivot pin extends, the lower end of the ratchet pin extending outwardly of the lower open end of the hollow handle and downwardly into the passage formed insaid. head, a coil springdisposed within the upper closed end of the handle bar vtor normally urging the pin into cooperative relation with the ratchet teeth of the rack bar, "whereby the bar maybe moved forwardly o'l said head when the handle bar is swungrearwardly, and a pivoted lockingpawln'iounted.on said head and cooperating. with the ratchet teeth of the-rack bar-for holding the latter in its adjusted position.

In testimony whereof lazffix my signature.

qFR-ED G. PRENTICE. 

